A CREED

 

A  CREED

There is a destiny that makes us brothers;

None goes his way alone:

All that we send into the lives of others

Comes back into our own.

 

I care not what his temples or his creeds,

One thing holds firm and fast----

That into his fateful heap of days and deeds

The soul of ma is cast.

 

This short poem is by the American poet Edwin Markham (1852-1940). “He was elected country superintendent of schools in 1879 and received the principalship of the Tompkins Observation School in Oakland in 1890.”His real name was Charles Edward Anson Markham. He was also a poet and lecturer. Some of his best quotes are (1) For all our days be prepared and meet them ever alike. (2) When you are the anvil, bear –  when you are the hammer, strike. (3) It is better to rust out than wear out.

 

“A Creed” is a system of Markham’s Christian beliefs and opinions. Of the two stanzas, the first one clicks more forcefully with the words : “There is a destiny that makes us brothers;/None goes his way alone/All that we send into the lives of others/Comes back into our own.”

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G.R.Kanwal

1^st November 2023